The No. 18 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team recovered from a slow start to take the lead for good just past the midway point of the first quarter Tuesday night in a season-opening 70-60 triumph against Calvin (Mich.) at Kachel Gymnasium.
 
The Warhawks (1-0 overall) forced 22 turnovers on 18 steals and held large advantages in points off turnovers (20-10), fast break points (21-5) and made free throws (23-6) for a victory playing in front of fans for the first time since March 2020.
 
Aleah Grundahl (DeForest, Wis./DeForest) was one of four UW-W players in double figure scoring, totaling 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting to go with four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Maggie Trautsch (Sun Prairie, Wis./DeForest) posted 17 points and three steals, while Veronica Kieres (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds to go with two assists and two steals.
 
Johanna Taylor (Wauwatosa, Wis./East) contributed 10 points, seven rebounds, three steals and one block, and Yssa Sto. Domingo (Streamwood, Ill./St. Edward) finished with eight points and a team-best four steals.
 
The Knights (1-1) held a 9-2 advantage just over three minutes into the contest, but UW-Whitewater registered 11 of the game's next 15 points to forge a 13-13 tie with 3:36 left in the first quarter. Taylor gave the team the lead for good with a pair of free throws at the 3:18 mark.
 
UW-W built its lead to 10 points by the end of the period, and the advantage swelled to 14 following a 3-pointer by Trautsch with 7:03 to play in the second.
 
Grundahl scored three straight baskets for the Warhawks around a free throw by Courtney Oomens (Lake Geneva, Wis./Badger) later in the quarter to make it 39-24. Calvin cut the deficit to 12 by halftime.
 
The two teams played evenly in the third quarter, with the UW-Whitewater lead never dropping below nine but never exceeding 14 in the period.
 
The Warhawks hit 9-of-12 free throws in the fourth to preserve their advantage. The Knights got as close as six at two different points in the quarter, including a 64-58 margin with 1:23 remaining, but Trautsch and Sto. Domingo combined to make six free throws over the final 1:13 of regulation.
 
UW-Whitewater heads to UW-Stevens Point's Tipoff Tournament this weekend for two games. UW-W plays Concordia Wisconsin Friday starting at 7 p.m.